WBC Mob Threatens Alexander... Nigga, Please!

In one of the most ludicrous news stories seen for a while, Dan Rafael reports that Jose Sulaiman has sent an e-mail to Devon Alexander threatening to strip him of his title if he continues to call out WBO titlist Timothy Bradley.

Here is a cut out of the e-mail "I read today in the papers that you want to fight Timothy Bradley for the WBO championship. I appreciate the information and I kindly ask you to immediately present the resignation to the WBC championship, as it seems that our organization is not up to your stature as a boxer. The WBC green and gold belt has been the dream of many boxers in the world, but apparently it is not yours. I will be waiting for your resignation and may you have good luck in your fight."

Sulaiman's delusional comments just prove how arrogant he is and his governing body is. This is just another genius plan to tarnish the sport, which Sulaiman is now an expert at. Hopefully, Alexander will ditch the title to chase down Bradley, and maybe even go as far as filing a lawsuit against the WBC.

Dedicated to the late, great Ol' Dirty Bastard, the heart and soul of the Wu Tang Clan, the "Nigga, Please!" award will be given to a fighter, event or situation that is just plain stupid enough to garner ODB's famous phrase of disgusted disbelief, "Nigga, Please!"

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BTBC Rumor Mill

It's been a long time since our last rumor mill, but there have been plenty of little birds discussing negotiations and purse bids across the globe. Here are the best and worst of the inaccurate whispers.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin - There seems to be a disagreement surrounding this fight as to whether it will or will not take place. The IBF have ordered Povetkin to take full advantage of his mandatory position or they'll crack the whip and drop him, but Team Povetkin are in two minds as to take the money fight now or risk losing their shot at the big time and prepare their fighter a little better. This should be a good fight as Povetkin holds the most stubbornness, and maybe talent of all of Wladimir's previous opponents.

Devon Alexander vs. Marcos Maidana - A fight between two fighters that have impressed on HBO in their young careers serves good for fight fans, especially when you have a speedster in Alexander and a monster puncher in Maidana. Alexander has openly expressed his desire of facing Maidana, and this could happen in August if both camps agree terms.

Steve Cunningham vs. Troy Ross - This would be a historic fight for The BTBC, as it would be the first title fight involving our carefully chosen House Fighters in Troy Ross, who would attempt to fill the IBF vacancy by defeating #1 cruiserweight Steve Cunningham. In my opinion, this is a better fight than Cunningham-Godfrey, which also got the blood pumping. It could be the news that the cruiserweight division needed to kick-start itself since David Haye and Tomasz Adamek departed to heavyweight.

Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman - Yes I know, this one's already set, but there's an on-going fight that between the two for trainer Emmanuel Steward, who's on both fighters' wishlist coming into June 12. Foreman was on the verge of clinching Steward before Team Cotto waded in and look set to convince Steward to join their camp instead. It might be the deciding factor on June 12.

Carlos Tamara vs. Luis Lazarte - Moving on to a fight that has just been signed, as Brian Viloria's conquer, Carlos Tamara, will defend his IBF title for the first time against experienced Argentine, Luis Lazarte, who has a unsuccessful history in light flyweight title fights. Tamara has one eye on a fight with Ulises Solis later on in the year. Staying true to form, Ivan Calderon is staying well away.

Andre Ward vs. Andre Dirrell - The promoters have already disagreed about the venue and there's only a week been since they started talking. The fight between the two American Olympians has been scheduled for September 25, but will probably change a couple of times before nailing a final date.

Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Bernabe Concepcion - Again, hardly a shocking discovery, but there has been development in negotiations, date, venues, etc. The most surprising news is that Showtime are rumoured to have picked up the fight, scheduled for July 10 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. But HBO still is favourite to broadcast the fight as they're working on a big showdown between Lopez and Gamboa next year, and it would be foolish to allow Lopez fight on a rival broadcaster.

James Toney vs. Jonathan Banks - This looks to be the first step in Toney's last push at his goal of heavyweight glory, which is unlikely to be reached soon. I'm pleased to see this fight getting made, as it not only shows that Toney actually might have realised he needs to start from the bottom to get to the top again, but that he is willing to risk everything against a puncher in Banks.

David Tua vs. Hasim Rahman - Both successful in March, could they turn to each other in search of a rise from the heavyweight scrap heap? Tua hasn't beaten a legit contender for yonks, Rahman doesn't look like he wants to get himself up that ladder and is doing this all for pride, and money of course.

Tony Thompson vs. Cedric Boswell - More from the redemption from American heavyweights, as Thompson, a little higher up the ranks than Toney, is looking to build on a stoppage win over Chazz Witherspoon with a victory over Cedric Boswell, who replaces Jason Estrada who picked up an injury.

Ruslan Chagaev vs. Kali Meehan - Quick jump back to the heavyweights, two of the WBA's favourite heavyweights will battle it out on May 22 in Rostock, Germany. Meehan is a Don King fighter, and you guessed it, inactive. Chagaev is coming off a heavy loss to Wladimir Klitschko.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Anthony Mundine - Firstly, shame on the WBA. Secondly, praise on the WBA. They've promoted Felix Sturm into 'Super Champ' position, which is a bad thing as it frees up the 'Regular Champ' belt, which will be filled by the winner of Golovkin-Mundine, which is an evenly matched fight.

Humberto Soto vs. Ricardo Dominguez - Humberto Soto will defend his WBC lightweight title against decent challenger Ricardo Dominguez on a very busy May 15 date that already involves plenty of action. Dominguez should give Soto some rounds at least, maybe even competitive ones.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. John Duddy - Make what you want of it, it's a pretty even fight.

And finally...

Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins - If Bernard wins on Saturday, which is a bigger if than some might think, Joe Calzaghe might be tempted to come out of retirement and fight Hopkins for the second time in Las Vegas. Remember, you heard it here first!

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Stage 10: Magno vs. Machine Results

Magno and the Machine remain neck and neck as we head into the championship rounds in Magno vs. Machine. As both pundits predicted the same result, Devon Alexander's stunning demolition of Juan Urango meant that nothing would change in the scores. With only two rounds remaining, can Magno turn it around in time to defeat the multi-functional Machine?

Devon Alexander vs. Juan Urango

Magno: Devon Alexander UD 12 Juan Urango
Machine: Devon Alexander UD 12 Juan Urango

Result: Devon Alexander KO 8 Juan Urango

Magno vs. Machine will return next week with Manny Pacquiao making his first defense of his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey.

Current Scores: Magno (14-3, 2 KOs); Machine (14-3, 3 KOs)

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Devon Alexander Blasts Juan Urango; Darchinyan and Alvarez Brutalize Foes

Uncasville, CT - WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion, Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs), added the IBF 140 lb. title last night with a surprisingly brutal eight round knockout of Colombian power puncher, reigning IBF titlist, Juan Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs).

Alexander fought at an even pace throughout, mixing tempo and boxing on the outside with a swift jab while occasionally stepping in to throw a sharp counter at the aggressive Urango.

The end of the bout came in the eight as Alexander caught his opponent with a huge right hand uppercut that sent Urango to the canvas.

The IBF champ never recovered from that shot and was soon back on the canvas a few seconds later, forcing referee Benjy Esteves but to call an end to the bout.

After the fight, Zab Judah tried to interrupt Alexander's post fight interview, only to be silenced by Alexander's assertion that Judah was "past tense."

On the undercard, Steve Forbes (34-8, 10 KOs) was upset by journeyman, Harrison Cuello (19-12-3, 14 KOs) via Majority Decision in an eight rounder

Also, Heavyweight Derrick Rossy (25-2, 14 KOs) won a 12 round Unanimous Decision over Zack Page (20-28-2, 7 KOs)

Rancho Mirage, CA - WBA/WBC Super Flyweight champion, Vic Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs) put a major beating on game, but over matched, Rodrigo Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KOs).

Guerrro tried to fight back at various parts of the bout, but reigning champ Darchinyan was just too much for the Mexican challenger and won via wide Unanimous Decision with scores of 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111.

Controversy clouded the undercard main support as Lenny Zappavigna (23-0, 15 KOs) won an unpopular Unanimous Decision over veteran Fernando Angulo (22-7, 14 KOs).

To most observers, Angulo seemed to be solidly ahead as he controlled most of the action from the fourth round on, but the judges thought differently with scores of 116-111, 116-111 and 114-113 for the undefeated Australian lightweight.

Chiapas, Mexico - Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez (31-0-1, 23 KOs) continued his climb in the welterweight ranks by beating sacrificial lamb, Brian Camechis (19-3, 8 KOs).

Camechis seemed hurt with every solid punch landed by Alvarez and was eventually taken out in the third.

After the bout, Alvarez somewhat confirmed that Matthew Hatton would be his next opponent, on the Mayweather-Mosley pay per view, May 1st.

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Round 10: Magno vs. Machine (Juan Urango vs. Devon Alexander)

As we reach the conclusion of Magno vs. Machine, boxing guru Paul Magno trails by a KO at round 9 with 3 to play.

And after exactly a month of reflecting and preparation, both Magno and Machine have rattled their brains to conjure up a vital prediction that could have a massive effect on who wins the boxing related battle of Man vs. Machine.

Magno: Devon Alexander is no doubt the more talented boxer fighting at a higher skill level, but Urango's one-punch power and single-minded aggression makes him a tough opponent...especially for someone with so little professional experience.


The question will be whether Alexander can slip, move and score enough over a full 12 rounds to get the decision and/or survive.


This is a close one; A real brain cell burner, but I'm going with class over force and picking Alexander via tight UD with some real dangerous moments later in the fight.


Machine: It’s a battle of the southpaws as a technically-sound Devon Alexander takes on Colombian battle-axe Juan Urango in a light welterweight unification fight.

The unbeaten Alexander (#6 by The BTBC) will look to use his speed advantage and long reach to pick-off the on-coming Urango. The power punching Urango (#5 by The BTBC) will keep coming forward all night, swinging wild hooks if he can get inside.

Look for Alexander to use his skill-set to gain a big lead on the scorecards, and the Machine is confident that he can keep his nerve and concentration to avoid Urango’s big punches. Devon Alexander wins by unanimous decision by scores of 118-110 X3.

Scores on the doors: Magno (13-3, 2 KO); Machine (13-3, 3 KO)

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Juan Urango: The Prospect Measuring Stick

by Dafs117

Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17 KO), Montiera, Colombia, is an overwhelming underdog going into his March 6 light welterweight unification clash with Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KO), St Louis, Missouri, but it's a position he's very familiar with. Here's The Boxing Tribune's preview of the fight, weighing up the expected tactics from both camps.

* * * * * * *

Nobody has looked impressive against Juan Urango. Iron Twin's two defeats came to high-stocked fighters Andre Berto and Ricky Hatton. Both fighters employed the same tactics against the Colombian; Punch, hold, repeat.

Such is the effect of Urango's insane strength and left-handed awkwardness that even the more gifted fighters are content to outpoint him and impress next time out.

Ricky Hatton was expected to batter the unknown Urango in his return from welterweight following a lackluster performance against Luis Collazo. However, Urango gave him an unexpected gut check as he was made to work for his win by the hard hitting Colombian.

Two years on and Urango found himself in the same situation, on another road trip to a HBO fighter's back garden. Urango caught Berto early in the opening round with a right hook, which triggered the retreat button in Berto's mind that resulted in Berto taking him on a merry-chase for the rest of the fight, interrupted ever so often by the quickest clinching ever seen.

For Berto, Urango was a test to see how far he's developed at the highest level. He passed, but Carlos Vilches, Herman Ngoudjo and Randall Bailey didn't. They may not be prospects, but they were fancied to employ the same tactics to defeat Urango.

Urango pummeled Vilches and stopped him with an absolutely huge right hand in the fourth on Wednesday Fight Nights. It was one of the highlights of 2008, and ultimately got Urango back in the frame for another title shot.

His next stop was the Bell Centre in Canada as he faced Herman Ngoudjo for the vacant IBF title. Ngoudjo had built up a pedigree of being on the wrong side of poor judging against Jose Luis Castillo and Paulie Malignaggi. In a fight where the timekeeper fell asleep, Urango dominated the fight to win via wide unanimous decision, knocking the durable Ngoudjo down twice in round 3 following huge left hands.

Urango was down for the first time in his career in his first defence of his IBF belt, floored by Randall Bailey in the fifth round. In a classic, Urango scored a come from behind kayo victory as he showed his champion spirit to stop the veteran Bailey in the eleventh.

The question that hangs over the March 6 fight is can Alexander fight his fight for 12 rounds? We know the tactics and we know he has talent, but is he mentally tough enough to be disciplined for twelve rounds?

Urango won't change. He'll be coming forward in his peekaboo stance throwing shots that would make any fighter quake in their boots. Can Alexander close out the crowd's boos and resist the urge to trade by sticking to his game plan? Some brave pundits don't think he can.

Back to tactical corner, Alexander as a southpaw will be on his bike all night. He's fast enough to stay on the outside, but does he have the stamina to keep with Urango for twelve rounds? Or can he keep the fight at his own pace?

The way to diffuse the Urango bomb is with skill, and Alexander has plenty of it. The style match-up is horrible for Urango too, the flashy and exceptionally quick fighter against the lumbering hard hitting bulldozer.

This issue is bound to be raised post-fight, so I'll do a Paulie Malignaggi and pretend to be Criswell. When does a referee say enough is enough and deduct a point for over-excessive clinching? Even if he's the hometown fighter, it's simply unfair on Urango to take away his prize assets by clinging onto his forearms. If only Joe Cotrez was the man in the middle...

This is Alexander's 'welcome to the pros fight'. He'll be tested, a lot of questions will be answered, and Urango is again the measuring stick to how much potential a prospect carries. This fight is a lot closer than the bookmakers make it out to be, and it's a great way to start a busy calendar over the next coming weeks.

Prediction - Urango has the power to knock anyone out in this division, he's a beast. He's faced the tougher competition, but Alexander is too fast, too slick and just too good for Urango. Don't rule out the chance of a thriller, but expect another snoozer of a fight with the Berto safety-first tactic put into use. Alexander UD 12

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Junior Welterweights On The Rise

by Dafs117

Dominated by Ricky Hatton, the light welterweight division has been a snoozer for the past few years, especially in comparison to its talent-rich neighbours north and south. But all of a sudden, the junior welterweight class is booming with exciting up-and-coming fighters such as Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan and Devon Alexander. They’ve all won an alphabet title in the past twelve months, and all could have a decent claim for the top spot in the division by the end of 2010, which is currently held by Bradley.

Add Marcos Rene Maidana and Juan Urango to the mix, two all action power punching fighters that put everything on the line with their one-track minds. Update the wildcards; Nate Campbell, Joel Casamayor and Andriy Kotelnik, all crafty fighters that can easily be underestimated. Flashy fighters such as Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and The BTBC’s 140 pound House Fighter, Lamont Peterson can cause a stir at 140 pounds and have a strong case to be ranked at the bottom of the top 10.

It gets deeper. Kaizer Mabuza, who recently upset Kendall Holt is now up to second-tier contender. Victor Ortiz and Kendall Holt can come back from heavy defeats later on this year. Mike Alvarado and Victor Manuel Cayo are unbeaten and look promising, as is the obscure Ionut Dan Ion and Cesar Rene Cuenca. Golden Boy have been hyping up another Argentinean, Lucas Matthysse, another unbeaten fighter that has talent in abundance. Ex-title challenger Herman Ngoudjo is not quite done yet, neither is Gavin Rees. The list goes on.

They might be a long way off the likes of Bradley, but match up anybody that I've mentioned so far with each other and I won't be complaining. A blown-up Ricky Hatton might still be the biggest money fight at light welterweight, but the division is catching up fast. There are just so many fascinating fights that could be made at 140 pounds.

The departure of Ricky Hatton will definitely be viewed as a positive thing as it will open the gateway for fighters to solidify their position in a talented division. Bradley has already seized on Hatton's inactivity, cementing his place at the top of the standings, for now.

There has been talk of Bradley facing nearly everyone. The likes of Edwin Valero, Amir Khan, Joshua Clottey and Juan Manuel Marquez have been called out recently, all to be dismissed by their associates. Promoter Gary Shaw is so confident that his fighter is the best out there, that he'll match him up with anyone.

And for once, he's right. Bradley is the best light welterweight, nobody comes close on current form and level of opponents. Talent wise, Alexander and Khan can compete, but they need a couple of years to develop under careful matchmaking that ultimately depletes them in the long run.

He's still without an opponent for his May date after weeks of searching for anybody that fits the criteria. However, there's much action outside of Bradley happening at the moment. This Saturday, Devon Alexander will take on Juan Urango to unify half of the division. In May, Amir Khan will make his Stateside debut against Paulie Malignaggi in his first proper defence of the WBA trinket. Edwin Valero will take on Lamont Peterson in what is an intriguing fight on paper. And in a true crossroads fight, Victor Ortiz will face Nate Campbell in a bout that could swing either way, it depends on what mood the fighters are in on the night.

It's a great time for the division right now, and fighters should take advantage of the good times. They shouldn't mess around with tune-ups that could turn on its head, the time is now. Could we see more light welterweights break into the fictional pound-4-pound rankings soon? In my opinion, most definitely. If they can sustain the excitement and quality in their fights, more fighters are bound to break the top 10 a lot sooner than expected.

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2009 Junior Welterweight Report

by Dafs117

Vastly becoming the division to watch, the 140 pounders are competing with the talent rich welterweights up north, putting on explosive fights and competitive battles throughout the year. The division is pretty deep, and we have 3 new alphabet titleholders this year to turn the division upside down, with the average age of the current four titlists at a toddler age of 25.

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HBO Campaigns For Alexander-Maidana

When Amir Khan became WBA light welterweight champion, fans feared that it would be a short reign if he came up against power punching Marcos Rene Maidana, who was some sort of a mandatory in a very corrupt WBA system.

But Khan managed to manipulate the system and give Dimitri Salita his ‘well-deserved’ title shot, and left Maidana out in the cold. With Maidana having to wait until 2011 possibly for his title shot, HBO has offered to screen a fight between the newly crowned WBC light welterweight titlist Devon Alexander and the Argentine.

Alexander ‘The Great’, won the WBC title against veteran Englishman Junior Witter, winning by eighth round corner retirement. He is yet to defend his belt, and doesn’t have a mandatory in line, so a chosen defence against Marcos Rene Maidana is set up for Spring 2010.

The fight is likely to be made in March 2010, possibly as a double-header with the rematch between Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins, or as a Boxing After Dark broadcast

You heard it here first!

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Bradley, Alexander Win in Controversial Night of Boxing

BY GEORGE WILLIS (NY Times)

At a time boxing needed something to lift its spirits, it got nothing but disappointment in Palm Springs Saturday night where two championship fights ended in unsatisfying controversies.

Devon Alexander captured the WBC super lightweight championship when Junior Witter of England failed to answer the bell for the ninth round. Witter quit on his stool despite trailing but just a couple of points on the scorecards. He later said he injured his elbow in the fourth round and it got progressively worse as the fight went on.

"I wasn't able to box the way I wanted to," Witter (37-3, 22 KOs) said. "We just decided it was time to let this one go. It's not that I wanted to quit. I wanted to win. I still had a chance to win the fight. I just wasn't able to."

Alexander, 22, didn't argue. The St. Louis native captured his first world title. "I trained hard every day, and I stayed dedicated," Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) said. "Now I have the green belt. God is good."

In the main event, Timothy Bradley retained the WBO junior welterweight title when his fight with Nate Campbell was stopped after three rounds because of a cut over Campbell's left eye.

Bradley, fighting in his hometown, was declared the winner, but Campbell felt the cut was caused by a head butt and the bout should have been ruled a no contest. "I'm not mad at Timmy, but this is wrong," said Campbell, the former lightweight champion.

Replays clearly showed a clash of heads as the two exchanged punches. Campbell instantly retreated into a corner, pawed his eye and complained about the head butt to referee Dave Mendoza. But Bradley followed in pursuit unleashing a barrage of punches as Campbell covered up on the ropes.

When the round ended and Campbell, 37, went to his corner his eye was covered in blood and he complained he couldn't see. "I have spots in my eye," he told a ring side physician, who stopped the bout.

Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KOs) was angry Mendoza didn't rule the cut was caused by the butt. But Mendoza said the last thing he saw before blood was a punch. "They both were head-butting each other when they were fighting," Mendoza said. "I had to go by the last thing I saw which was a punch."

Bradley (25-0, 12 KOs) didn't apologize. "It didn't matter he was going to get beat anyway," Bradley said. "As the rounds went on he was getting older and older."

Campbell and Bradley had dedicated the bout to the memories of Arturo Gatti and Vernon Forrest, former champions who died in the month of July.

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BTBC News Sack (6/11/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

RingTV.com kicks off new feature: Live stream of Fight Night Club
IBF Was in a Bind Ordering Donaire-Mthalane Rematch
Banks vs Butlin On The Klitschko-Chagaev Undercard
Too much hate for Pacquiao, Floyd Jr, Mosley and Boxers?
Insider Notebook: Israel Vazquez Dispute, Margarito Comeback, Pavlik-Sturm and Cotto Too
Witter-Alexander is Pushed Back, Pulled From July 11
‘The Ghost’ Returns
Diacanu vs. Pascal: Marlon Wright Named as Ref
Arce returns June 20!
Malignaggi-Diaz is a Done Deal, Weight of 138.5 on 8/22
Siaca calls out Mundine!

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What Should Be Next For Manny and Ricky?

by Paul Magno

Now that the dust has settled and both fighters have had some time to think, it's time to seriously think about the future.

For Pacquiao, the decision is easy- Floyd Mayweather.

Should "Mainstream Money" beat Juan Manuel Marquez in July, the logical battle would be between Manny and Floyd in a war for "Pound-for-Pound" supremacy. But if business issues can't be sorted out, Pacquiao's back-up plans would be a move up to Welter against Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley or a "stay busy" fight at Jr. Welter against guys like Nate Campbell, Joan Guzman or Timothy Bradley. It's doubtful, though, that Manny will be taking any fights from now on with less than 8-digit paydays.

For Hatton, retirement would be the best and most logical choice, but we all know that fighters don't often make the soundest of judgements when it comes to their futures. So, a good choice would be one last mega-fight in front of his Manchester fans- the long-awaited battle between Hatton and Junior Witter.

Hatton/Witter would be huge business in the UK and certainly an HBO-worthy show in the States. The long-standing animosity between the two would charge this event and make it a real spectacle. Plus, frankly, Witter is not a huge banger nor an aggressive warrior. Hatton just may be damaged goods at this point and he wouldn't do too well against a young, hard-charging contender. Witter is a foe he can beat and make one last big payday doing so.

Both Manny and Ricky, though, have to be patient and see whether Mayweather beats Marquez for Pacquiao and whether Witter can capture the vacant WBC 140 lb. strap against Devon Alexander for Ricky...

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